#merkelstreichelt, meaning ‘Merkel strokes’. Merkel was visiting a school in Rostock, in northeast Germany, to talk with pupils about integration on Wednesday, July 15, when Reem’s portrayal of living in limbo caught the chancellor off guard.Reem, who came to Germany with her family four years ago, described how hard the uncertainty that her family faces has been and that they had come close to deportation. She also spoke about how her father, a welder, was unable to work without a work-permit, and said that she misses her extended family who she has not been able to visit since arriving in Germany. Reem went on to describe her dreams of going to university and appeared to leave Merkel briefly lost for words. “I understand, and yet I have to… politics is sometimes hard,” said Merkel, but then went on to defend Germany’s immigration policy, while stressing that every effort is being made to reduce waiting times for asylum applications. Shortly after explaining that Germany couldn’t manage to accommodate thousands of refugees arriving from around the world and that some would have to be sent back, the girl then began to sob. Attempting to comfort her Merkel went over to stroke her hair and said, “aww, come now, you did a good job.” The presenter interjected, saying “I don’t think it’s about doing well but the fact that it’s a very difficult situation, Madam Chancellor.” Visibly irritated, Merkel replied, “I know that it’s a difficult situation. That’s why I want to comfort her, because we don’t want to bring all of you into such situations and because you are having a difficult time, because you’ve shown for a lot of other people what situations you can end up in…” Credit: YouTube/Bundesregierung">